Jurors and Southwark crown court, in South East London, also heard how Bindi learned of the alleged abuse.

Bindi, who was not in the courtroom because she is a witness in the case, had apparently been telling the victim about her suspicions that Harris was having an affair with the housekeeper.

Harris’ wife of 50 years looked on as the woman said: “I was damning of Rolf and she said, ‘Why do you have a downer on my dad?’ I didn’t say anything and then she just blurted out, ‘Has he touched you?’ I looked at her and said ‘yes’. She was furious with him.”

The alleged victim claimed Bindi called her mother to apologise for what her father was said to have done.

“She was pretty devastated,” explained the woman. “But she wasn’t cross at me. She was angry with her father.”

The court heard that the woman was 28 when Harris sent her a “vulgar” card with a dog on it, which she felt contained a sexual message.

Reading the card, Ms Wass said: “All I need to know about life I learned from my dog.